Air Dry Clay Seed Mosaic Craft

Now that summer time has stated farewell, we have been anxious to check out this enjoyable, sensory craft venture that we are able to really use to embellish the backyard because it slips into autumn mode.

For this venture we used air dry clay – however if you happen to wished to maintain your mosaics inside out of the weather, you possibly can use salt dough as a substitute. (Discover my simple salt dough recipe right here.) We selected to make use of air dry clay as a result of we wished the tip outcome to be fairly stable, since we deliberate on placing them outdoors within the backyard for a bit.

We additionally used quite a lot of outdated pantry gadgets, together with some outdated beans from the sensory bin, a few tablespoons of lentils, some very outdated popcorn kernels and a little bit little bit of barley I discovered on the backside of the pantry drawer. Should you’d fairly not use pantry gadgets, be at liberty to forage for seeds outdoors (it’s the right time of 12 months for it!) and even expired backyard seeds.

Air Dry Clay Seed Mosaics

You’ll want:

• White Air Dry Clay (we used Crayola model)
• Beans and seeds
• Rolling pin
• Biscuit cutter or cookie cutter (you too can use a bowl/plate as a template)
• Knife or chopping instrument
• Acrylic Sealer Spray

First, roll out the clay with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch. You’ll need it fairly thick so it doesn’t break simply. Lower out a circle (or one other enjoyable form – we did butterflies and leaves!) and run your finger across the edges to easy it out a bit. Should you don’t have a cookie cutter, you’ll be able to place a bowl or plate on the clay and hint across the fringe of it together with your knife.

We have been in a position to make a lot of various things with only a circle form – a ladybug, flower, snail, spider, and so on. You don’t want fancy cookie cutters!

Upon getting your form lower out, push beans and seeds down into the clay – ensure they’re pushed securely down in there or they’ll simply come out when the clay dries. Should you’re doing this with children, ensure they push the seeds down deep sufficient.

Let the clay dry for 3-4 days (in accordance with the directions included together with your air dry clay) in a dry place (i.e. not outdoors in a damp setting!)

As soon as they’re totally dry, convey them outdoors and spray them with an acrylic sealer. We used this one.

A number of ideas: DON’T try and spray them inside – the fumes are very robust! You don’t need that odor lingering in your own home or storage, belief me. Additionally – don’t flip them over or mess with them an excessive amount of till you spray them with the sealer, in any other case the seeds could fall out or transfer round. And don’t maintain the sealant spray too near your mosaics or the power of the spray could knock off a few of your seeds.

We positioned ours on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to dry, so we may carry the entire tray outdoors for the ultimate step. Trying again, it will have been greatest to put them on paper plates so I didn’t have to fret concerning the sealer getting on my cookie sheet. 🙂

Permit the sealant to dry, then fastidiously flip them over and seal the underside and the entire edges. Preserve repeating with the sealant till they’re fully and totally coated in acrylic sealer.

Should you’re planning on holding these inside, away from moisture and critters, be at liberty to only use one coat of sealant.

Now get pleasure from your stunning seed mosaics!